The music of Andrea Bocelli filled downtown Buffalo, but the experience taking shape around the music may have told an even bigger story.
There are afternoons when everything seems to come together in a way you hoped it might.
Sunday’s Voci d’Amore: The Music of Andrea Bocelli was one of those afternoons.
For several days, we watched the weather forecast change almost by the hour. There were moments when we considered moving indoors. We considered alternatives. In the end, we decided to trust the forecast, set the stage on Ellicott Street, and create the experience outdoors as we originally envisioned it.
I’m glad we did.
Because what unfolded Sunday was about more than a concert.
It was about the music, certainly. But it was also about the atmosphere that surrounded it.
People filled tables along Ellicott Street. Friends arrived together. Others saw people they knew and pulled up a chair. Delicious food was enjoyed. Conversations took place between songs. And for a few hours, a downtown street felt less like a street people travel through and more like a place people wanted to be.
That’s the experience we’ve been trying to create with Summer of Jazz.
Two Extraordinary Voices
At the center of it all were Jay Dref and Carolyn Lansom.
We’ve known for some time what a remarkable voice Jay possesses. A Juilliard graduate whose career has taken him around the world touring with internationally renowned soprano and classical crossover star Sarah Brightman, Jay brought the power, control, and beauty of a world-class classical crossover tenor to Ellicott Street.
And there was something particularly meaningful about hearing that voice here in Buffalo.
Not in a grand concert hall. Not thousands of miles away. But outdoors in the heart of his hometown, with people sitting just feet away.
Carolyn Lansom brought something equally important to the afternoon. Her warmth, versatility, and expressive voice proved to be a beautiful complement to Jay, giving us another dimension of her artistry.
Together, they created some of the afternoon’s most touching and emotional moments. Their duets on “The Music of the Night” and “Time to Say Goodbye” brought an unmistakable stillness and attentiveness to the street, while their individual performances gave each an opportunity to shine.
Jay’s soaring rendition of “‘O Sole Mio” and Carolyn’s soulful interpretation of “At Last” were among those moments when you could feel the audience completely connected to what was happening onstage.
There were moments of power and moments of tenderness. Familiar melodies took on new meaning as they traveled down Ellicott Street, creating the kind of emotional connection we had hoped Voci d’Amore might inspire.
And under the musical direction of Broadway veteran Don Rebic, with Wayne Moose and Devin Kelly, these weren’t simply recreations of familiar recordings. The arrangements gave the music its own character and allowed Voci d’Amore to become something created specifically for this afternoon.
But Look Beyond the Stage
As much as I enjoyed what was happening onstage, I found myself looking around Ellicott Street.
That’s where another part of the story was unfolding.
You could see people leaning back in their chairs and simply taking it all in. Couples sitting together. Friends talking over food and drinks. People turning their attention toward the stage when a familiar melody began.
There was an ease to the afternoon.
And I think that matters.
We’ve talked a great deal this summer about creating more reasons for people to spend time downtown. Sunday offered another glimpse of what that can mean.
It doesn’t always require thousands of people or a massive festival.
Sometimes it can be a few hundred people, a closed city street, tables and chairs, restaurants serving food and drinks, beautiful music in the air, and nowhere anyone particularly needs to hurry off to.
For a few hours, Ellicott Street became a place to spend time rather than simply a way to get somewhere else.
Something We Didn’t Know We Were Looking For
In last week’s JazzBuffalo newsletter, I wrote:
Sometimes the experience you remember most is the one you didn’t know you were looking for.
Voci d’Amore was intentionally something different for us.
Summer of Jazz has swung with big-band music, transported us to a Parisian café, and filled Ellicott Street with the irresistible rhythms of Latin jazz. Sunday brought us somewhere else entirely—the romantic melodies and classical crossover sound associated with Andrea Bocelli.
And people came.
They listened. They stayed.
That tells us something.
Building an audience isn’t simply about giving people more of what they already know. Sometimes it’s about creating an experience, inviting people to trust you enough to try it, and then watching what happens.
Sunday was one of those days.
Another Glimpse of What’s Possible
For me, Voci d’Amore also represented another small example of what we’re beginning to explore through ArtsBuffalo.
What happens when arts organizations, musicians, restaurants, businesses, civic partners, and audiences begin working together to create experiences downtown?
JazzBuffalo and ArtsBuffalo could create the music. Tappo Restaurant could provide the hospitality. Our musicians could create something extraordinary onstage.
But none of it becomes a community experience until people choose to come.
And they did. And you did.
That’s the part I don’t want us to overlook.
Sunday wasn’t simply Voci d’Amore: The Music of Andrea Bocelli.
It was people choosing to spend a Sunday afternoon together in downtown Buffalo.
Beautiful music certainly helped.
But looking down Ellicott Street and seeing people enjoying themselves, talking with one another, sharing a meal, listening, lingering, and simply being together may have been the most beautiful sight of all.
That’s an afternoon worth treasuring.
And it’s another reason to keep building.
The Afternoon in Pictures
And finally, I hope you’ll take a few moments to enjoy the spectacular photography of JazzBuffalo contributor and photographer Jack Zuff.
Jack has a wonderful ability to capture more than a performance. His photographs captured the beautiful moments that unfolded throughout the afternoon—the artists, the audience, the smiles, the conversations, and the atmosphere that made Voci d’Amore such a memorable experience.
Sometimes photographs tell the story better than words can.
Enjoy Jack’s photographs below and relive some of the beautiful moments we shared together on Ellicott Street.
